Best-case scenario
In a dream situation, Patton will come back at some point this season. In that case, he is 100 percent and puts together a season such as he did at Creighton.
Obviously, he wouldn’t get 25.5 minutes per game such as he did in college. Even so, the big man could still shoot a high percentage from the field to contribute efficiently on offense. On defense, he can use his size to grab rebounds and keep blocking shots like he did in college too.
The bigger idea is that Patton will be more of a defensive force. The Wolves have enough guys who can put the ball in the basket, besides Patton has shown that part of his game. He needs to make his mark on defense to prove his worth on this team.
It was known coming out of the draft that Patton isn’t the most aware defender. With that in mind, Thibodeau is going to have his work cut out for him to get Patton ready for his defense. However, this will only benefit Patton in the long run to be the best defender he can be.
Patton is very athletic for his size which will make grasping defense in the league easier. Thibodeau throws crazy rotations in there and you need to be athletic to make them work. This is why Patton fits well in Thibodeau’s defense. If this season he can use his size to his advantage and grasp the defense that would be huge towards team success.
Because that is what it’s all about, right?